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Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Methylprednisolone acetate vs Methotrexate

National NHS prescribing compared (Prescription Cost Analysis)
Data updated May 2026

Methotrexate was dispensed 2.6× as often as Methylprednisolone acetate in May 2026 — 182,888 items versus 70,715 in England.

70,715items

Methylprednisolone acetate · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

182,888items

Methotrexate · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

Figure 1. Methylprednisolone acetate versus Methotrexate: national items dispensed by month

▬ Methylprednisolone acetate   ·   ╌ Methotrexate

0 99k 198k Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 May 2026 Methotrexate 70,715 Jan 2021: 20k Feb 2021: 20k Mar 2021: 29k Apr 2021: 30k May 2021: 35k Jun 2021: 37k Jul 2021: 36k Aug 2021: 32k Sep 2021: 35k Oct 2021: 34k Nov 2021: 33k Dec 2021: 31k Jan 2022: 30k Feb 2022: 31k Mar 2022: 37k Apr 2022: 33k May 2022: 38k Jun 2022: 37k Jul 2022: 36k Aug 2022: 33k Sep 2022: 36k Oct 2022: 35k Nov 2022: 37k Dec 2022: 33k Jan 2023: 36k Feb 2023: 36k Mar 2023: 42k Apr 2023: 35k May 2023: 42k Jun 2023: 45k Jul 2023: 42k Aug 2023: 38k Sep 2023: 41k Oct 2023: 41k Nov 2023: 40k Dec 2023: 38k Jan 2024: 42k Feb 2024: 40k Mar 2024: 42k Apr 2024: 43k May 2024: 45k Jun 2024: 49k Jul 2024: 52k Aug 2024: 49k Sep 2024: 52k Oct 2024: 52k Nov 2024: 45k Dec 2024: 45k Jan 2025: 50k Feb 2025: 45k Mar 2025: 49k Apr 2025: 48k May 2025: 53k Jun 2025: 57k Jul 2025: 59k Aug 2025: 54k Sep 2025: 64k Oct 2025: 62k Nov 2025: 61k Dec 2025: 63k Jan 2026: 64k Feb 2026: 64k Mar 2026: 68k Apr 2026: 64k May 2026: 71k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to May 2026

Methylprednisolone acetate versus Methotrexate, May 2026
Measure Methylprednisolone acetate Methotrexate
Items, May 2026 70,715 182,888
Items, last 12 months 749,895 2,236,227
Net ingredient cost, May 2026 £353,654 £2,247,752

See the full profile for Methylprednisolone acetate or Methotrexate.